Boiler particularly for humidifiers

ABSTRACT

A boiler particularly for humidifiers, provided with a tank, supported by supporting elements, which have a filling and discharging orifice. A centrifugal discharge pump is supported by the supporting elements in a position that faces the orifice, so that the axis of its impeller substantially coincides with the axis of the orifice.

The present invention relates to a boiler particularly for humidifiers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Boilers are currently known which comprise:

-   a substantially cylindrical tank, provided with a filling and     discharging orifice; -   a support, which can be associated with a wall and is adapted to     support the tank in a substantially vertical position; -   a centrifugal pump, which is arranged at the orifice and is adapted     to empty the tank.

Usually, commonly commercially available generic centrifugal pumps are used.

Pumps of this type are associated with the support at the orifice of the tank and the axis of their impeller is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the orifice.

A duct for connection between the orifice and the pump casing faces the impeller axially, while a delivery duct is arranged radially to the impeller to discharge the liquid aspirated by the pump through the connection duct.

This solution has drawbacks, including the fact that it is necessary to provide suitable connections between the tank, at the orifice, and the pump connecting duct, which is sized by the pump manufacturer for generic uses and therefore is not dedicated to connection to the tank of the boiler.

Another drawback of such boilers is that since the discharge pump is arranged with an axis that is substantially transverse with respect to the axis of the tank, it is particularly bulky.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide a boiler, particularly for humidifiers, that has, other characteristics being equal, a smaller space occupation than currently known ones.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a boiler that has a pump dedicated to the connection to the tank and therefore does not require adapters for their connection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boiler that is structurally simple and easy to use and can be manufactured with low costs.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a boiler, particularly for humidifiers, provided with a tank, supported by supporting means, which has a filling and discharging orifice, characterized in that it comprises a centrifugal discharge pump that is supported by said supporting means in a position that faces said orifice, the axis of the impeller of said centrifugal pump substantially coinciding with the axis of said orifice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the boiler according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boiler according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a detail of the boiler according to the invention, without the tank;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the detail shown in FIG. 2 of the boiler according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the boiler according to the invention, taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged-scale sectional view, taken along the line V-V of FIG. 3, of the boiler according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a boiler of the currently known type.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.

With reference to FIG. 6, the reference letter A generally designates a known type of boiler, provided with a cylindrical tank B that has a filling and discharging orifice connected by means of a connector C to a centrifugal pump D.

In particular, the tank B is arranged vertically and has the tubular connector C arranged substantially vertically.

The centrifugal pump D is radially associated with the connector C, and therefore its axis E, at right angles to the axis F of the connector C, is substantially horizontal.

A filling duct G is associated with a filling port provided radially to the connector C in order to fill the tank B.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a boiler, particularly for humidifiers, which is provided with a tank 11 that is conveniently cylindrical, is supported by supporting means 12 and is provided with a filling and discharging orifice 13.

A particularity of the boiler 10, according to the invention, is that it comprises a centrifugal discharge pump 14 supported by the supporting means 12 in a position that faces the orifice 13.

The axis X of an impeller 17 of the centrifugal pump 14 substantially coincides with the axis of the orifice 13.

Advantageously, the centrifugal pump 14 comprises a casing 15, which has a chamber 16 for accommodating the impeller 17 that is associated with a neck 18 for connection to the orifice 13.

At least one port 19 for filling the tank 11 is conveniently provided on the neck 18 and at least one discharging port 20 is conveniently provided on the accommodation chamber 16.

Advantageously, the boiler 10 according to the invention comprises filling and discharging ducts 21 for the tank 11.

The supporting means 12 conveniently comprise a panel 22 that can be associated with a wall and is provided with a shelf 23 for supporting the centrifugal pump 14 and with supporting brackets 24 for the tank 11.

The filling and discharging ducts 21 preferably comprise

-   a filling duct 25, which is preferably associated with the filling     port 19, -   a discharging duct 26, which is conveniently associated with the     discharging port 20.

Conveniently, the boiler 10 according to the invention comprises

-   a filling connector 27, supported by the shelf 23 and connected to     the filling duct 25, and -   a discharging connector 28, which is supported by the shelf 23 and     is connected to the discharging duct 26.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the proposed aim and objects, providing a boiler, particularly for humidifiers, which has, other characteristics being equal, a smaller space occupation than currently known ones, by way of the fact that it comprises a dedicated centrifugal pump arranged coaxially to the orifice of the tank.

The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. PD2008U000006 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs. 

1-5. (canceled)
 6. A boiler, particularly for humidifiers, provided with a tank, supported by supporting means, which has a filling and discharging orifice, comprising a centrifugal discharge pump that is supported by said supporting means in a position that faces said orifice, the axis of an impeller of said centrifugal pump substantially coinciding with the axis of said orifice.
 7. The boiler according to claim 6, wherein said centrifugal pump comprises a casing that has a chamber for accommodating said impeller associated with a neck for connection to said orifice, at least one port for filling said tank being provided on said neck, at least one discharging port being provided on said accommodation chamber.
 8. The boiler according to claim 7, further comprising filling and discharging ducts for said tank, a filling duct of said filling and discharging ducts being associated with said at least one filling port and a discharging duct of said filling and discharging ducts being associated with said at least one discharging port.
 9. The boiler according to claim 6, wherein said supporting means comprise a panel that can be associated with a wall and is provided with a supporting shelf for said centrifugal pump and with supporting brackets for said tank.
 10. The boiler according to claim 9, further comprising a filling connector which is supported by said shelf and is connected to said filling duct, and a discharging connector, which is supported by said shelf and is connected to said discharging duct. 